Have You Heard of the Second Birth?
"How ca a man be born when he is old? Ca he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
Nicodemus, a prominent lawyer, asked this question almost 2,000 years ago. He had come to Jesus Christ to learn some profound religious truth. Strangely enough, Jesus said to him. "You must be born again." Nicodemus was disappointed. He wondered why Jesus did not teach him something important and worthwhile. Why did Jesus make such a foolish statement?
Do Jesus' words seem nonsensical to you? If they do, will you sincerely and intelligently consider four things every person do to be born again?
"... for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
The "heart" as the Bible speaks of it, is the real you. But the heart is also a fooler. God's Word says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
If you think that you have no sin and that you don't need God, you are just kidding yourself.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1John 1:8)
Jesus told Nicodemus: "He that believeth on him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
Jesus explained the new birth to Nicodemus by relating this story from the Old Testament to His death on Calvary: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14, 15)
The Israelites that Moses led out of Egyptian bondage complained continually against God and Moses. God tired of their unthankfulness and caused poisonous serpents (snakes) to bite the guilty ones. The people cane to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." (Numbers 21:7)
Moses prayed, and God answered by instructing Moses to place a brass serpent on a pole. He further explained that all those that would look upon this object would live.
Jesus, like the serpent, was placed on the cross; and your sins, like those of Israelites, were placed upon Jesus Christ. When a man, by faith, looks upon Christ as the One who died for his sins, he receives eternal life.
"For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
God wants you to receive His gift of eternal life - but you must turn to Him in repentance to receive it.
If you need Christ, simply ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart - and He will!
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9,10)
You can be born again today simply be asking Christ to come into your heart as your Lord and Saviour.